Cypress moved to throw her dance clothes in her bag and run. She didn’t. She told each muscle that had frozen, every gland that was sweating and joint that ached, to let go, to just let go. Laura and Idrina, just beyond the dressing room, talked like they were the very last lovers on the planet. Cypress fixed her mouth to shout, but didn’t. She simply nodded. Yes, today was the day for the red leotard with the embroidery, the yellow leg warmers, the rhinestone waistband, and the best series of turns she’d ever accomplished. Maybe six pirouettes would do, for today. With a grand jeté just over Idrina’s head.

“Yeah. Idrina never gave me credit for all I could do.” Cypress stretched once and sauntered toward the laughter of two women who weren’t thinking about her.

Laura looked nothing like Cypress had figured. She didn’t look like she lived in Manhattan, or had even ever been in Manhattan. Cypress forced herself to see this Laura with Idrina, among the other women from Azure Bosom. Women with lavender hair, nose rings, toe rings, and passions of sub-Saharan Sapphos. She had to put her hand over her mouth to hide the grin. Laura was all of four-foot-ten. Innocent as a child raised in a convent a hundred years ago. Soft like the bubbles of a bath of rose damask. Not one line of malice edged her eyes, there was no permanent pout in her lower lip. Her only extravagance was the placement of five diamond studs around her left ear, so her female orifices sparkled no matter what time of day, no matter who could see. But these thoughts had to hurry along, because now Cypress had to speak to this Laura before this moment of glory, or mischief, passed by.

Leaning against the lockers in the hallway, hips pushed forward like she might give birth, Idrina shouted, “Why Cypress, it’s so good to see you!” She pulled up to hug Cypress, so close their nipples almost touched. Then the two, Cypress and Idrina, grabbed each other. Laura watched Idrina in this warm reunion, knowing that Cypress was looking her straight in the face, as if to say, “Now what?” There was a silence that any one of them could have broken, and Laura said:

“Hi, Cypress, I’m Laura. I’ve been waiting to meet you.”

Idrina pulled back as the two women spoke. Cypress, feeling ebullient from the night before with Leroy, thought she’d take it all, and cooed,

“Oh, not nearly as long as I’ve wanted to meet you.”

Idrina jumped in with an idea that they should go celebrate her company’s good fortune.